Soil surveys have been responsible for collecting information about the soils of Europe over many years. Initially, the suveys produced paper maps at various scales identifying the spatial distribution of the different types of soils and supporting these with analyses defining the main properties of the soils. More recently there have been major advances in the construction of digital databases of soil types and their properties to which have been added information on climate, geology, topography, hydrology and land use. The resulting land information systems provide data on soils and their interaction with other facets of the environment for use in dealing with problems of pollutant transfer, soil degradation such as soil erosion, land contamination, climate change and sustainable land use. In some countries there is now on-line access to these databases. Major monitoring programmes are also being developed as a vital means of detecting changes in soil quality with time and use. Each country of the Eureopan Union, and many of the Neighbouring Countries, have supported soil surveys to a greater or lesser extent depending on resources available. However, the methods used have varied between countries and over time. While it is matter of great satisfaction that many of the new countries have extensive information, there will be much work needed to harmonise this information and to move forward with uniform methdology for mapping, analysis, databases, inventories and monitoring. The increasing demand for information about the soils of Europe suggests that is a laudable aim. It is hoped that this review of the current state of mapping and documenting the soil resources of the new enlarged European Union and the Neighbouring Countries will help to raise public awareness and focus attention on some of the main issues that need to be addressed.
